AMs call for new London passenger charter

Image: TfLA new London Assembly report has called for the introduction of a single passenger charter for all Transport for London services.

The report notes TfL has already made a number of improvements in customer service, including contactless fares, clearer and more signage and better trained staff but says there are still some areas of weakness which need addressing.

Although passengers can buy a single ticket to cover their whole journey, every time they switch modes along that journey their rights are covered by a different passenger charter.

AMs want TfL to introduce a single charter covering all modes so that passengers can always be sure what level of service they can expect.

Deputy Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, Valerie Shawcross CBE AM, said: “Give us a straight-forward set of service standards and processes that apply regardless of whether we use the bus, the tube or any of TfL’s services. That is all we want.

“Staff behaviour, timeliness and standard of responses to complaints, as well as commitments to levels of assistance available at stations – should all be covered, for all modes, under one umbrella – it should be that simple.”

Today’s report also calls for the appointment of a board member responsible for championing good customer service within the organisation and the introduction of a new Alternative Dispute Resolution service for passengers.

Sir Peter Hendy, London’s Transport Commissioner, said he welcomed the report “and its recognition that we are delivering an increasingly high quality of customer service.”

He added: “Visible and well-equipped staff, integrated ticketing, and information to make the lives of our customers easier, are at the core of a programme of action we have underway to deliver further improvements.

“Recent developments include the introduction of contactless payments – removing the need for customers to buy a ticket, real-time Twitter feeds for all services, a website that is effectively an app for customers planning journeys on the move and open data that is powering more than 350 travel information apps.”